Outside car-roof.



J. J. HOFFMAN. OUTSIDE CAR ROOF. APPLICATION FILED IBB. 24, 1908.

Patented Mar. 16 4 SHEBTS-SHEET J. lJ. HOFFMAN OUTSIDE GAR R001".

. 1908. 915,350. Patented Mar. 16, 1909. i 4 SHEETS lSHEET 2.

J. J. HOFFMAN.

Y OUTSIDE UAR ROOF. APPLIOATION FILED 11:13.24, 1908.

Patented Mar. 16

f 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

J. J. HOFFMAN. OUTSIDE GAR ROOF. APPLICATION FILED 21111.24, 190B.

Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

4 SHEETS--SHEET 4.

40 a supporting h Unrirn srnrns seien..

JOHN J. HOFFMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A SSIGLNOR 'IO PETER 11. MURPHY, OF STrLOUIS, MNSOUR.

OUTSIDE CAEetCBOF.

Speecation of Let-ters IPatent.

Patented March 16, 1909;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jox-1N .1. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri,

5 have invented a certain new and useful lne provement in Outside (lar-Roofs, of which the following is a specification.

,My invention relates to outside car roofs and has for its principal objects to secure the sheets in such a Way as to minimize the destructive effects arising from the weaving 'ot the car and other changes from its normal shape. v

My invention consists in the construction and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this spe'ciiication, and wherein like symbols refer to like parts whenever they occur, Figure 1 is a partial vertical cross section of a car roof embodying my invention, said section being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3 Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross sec tion of the middle portieri of the car roof on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3,1lig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section and elevation of the ridge saddle and associated parts, Fig. L1 is a plan View of corner portions of sheets with a corner cap in position; lllig. 5 is a persimctive view of a corner cap g Fig. (i is a longitudiiml section of a corner cap on the line 6---6 of l? ig. 5; Fig 7 is an end elevation of a corner cap; Fig. 8 is 'a perspective view of the ridge saddle F ig. 9 is a cross section of the ridge saddle on the line 9--9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 1l) is a perspective view of one of the ridge saddle 'side stri is; Fig. 11 is a erspective view of one of t le supporting blocks for thc ridge saddle side stri is; Fig. 12 is a cross section of lock on the line 12---12 of 191g. 11; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a roof sheet, Fig. 14- is an ond view of one form ol side'seam forthe roof sheets; Fig. 15 is a similar view of another form of side seam for the roof sheets; Fig. 16 is a cross section of the roofat the eaves showing a modiiied form ol' device for holding the metal sheets in place ;A

Fig'. 17 is a. cross section of the roof at the veaves showing a. inodiiied forni of device for 5 0 holding the metal sheets in place at the eaves; and, Fig. 1S is a detail elevation of the cli i used in thel device shown in llig.' 17.

y y roof comprises a wooden sheathing 1 and a covering of metal sheets 2 therefor.

l l i The sheets are connected at their sides by' standing seams or ribs 3 which run from the eaves toward the ridge. The sheets are arranged in two series thatextend the full length of the car, but the sheets of each series terminate short of the ridge thereby leaving a space between them. .The upper or ridge ends ot' the sheets have turned up or vertical 'flanges 4 thereon, and these flanges are reinforced .by bending the surplus metal at the corner of the sheet inwardly back of said flanges, without slitting the sheet.

As stated above, the sheets of one series do not interlock with the sheets of the other series, but the sheets of each series have side ilanges that interlock with each other. In order to hold the sheets at the ridge, suitable corner caps 5 are applied thereto. As usual with roofs of the type to which the present invention relates, the corner caps are made ol metal. These corner caps have transverse grooves t' arranged to receive the side seams or ribs and longitudinal grooves 7 adapted to receive the u )standing Hanges 4 at the ridge ends of the sheets. 'lhe grooves are of sufiicient width to prevent binding and to permit slight movement of the sheets. ln Order to prevent binding of the roof sheets against the roof, the midd e portion of the corner cap is provided with a distance piece S integral therewith which projects downwardly a little farther than the portions which interlock with the ridge. ilanges of the sheets. By this arrangnnont, the distance piece bears against the ridge pole 9, While the interlocking portions clear the. roof sheets. The corner cap is perforated to accommodate the fastening bolt hereinafter mentioned.

lllxtending longitudinally of the car at the ridge is la continuous wooden member 10 which constitutes` a ridge saddle and Whose underside. is shaped to conform to the' roof. 'lhe lower side of this ridge saddle has transverse grooves 11 therein arranged to receive the side seams oi the sheets and the transverse members of the corner caps which inclose said seams. lt also has a 'eontinuous longitudinal groo.y e. 12 which receives the ridge flanges of the sheetsand the longitu-- dinal members of the corner caps. llhe longitudinal groove is of such depth that therielge inoi'nber will rest on the corner caps, While the lower portions of the ridge saddle just clear the roof sheets; that is to say,the main weight of the ridge saddle is transmitted through the corner caps to the ridge pole instead of resting upon the roof sheets.

Theridge saddle is held in lace by means of bolts 13 which extend) downwardly through it and the perforations provided therefor in the corner caps and through the ridge pole. At each side of the ridge saddle is secured a longitudinal strip or stringer 14 by means of bolts 15 which extend transversely through said side strips and the ridge saddle. These side stri s are provided on their underside'with bloclis 16 which are grooved to fit over the side seams of the sheets. On the mounted run boards 17. Preferably', t e inner margin of the outer run boards rest on the ridge saddle. This construction gives considerable rigidity and relieves the roof sheets of considerable portion of the weight, and leaves the sheets free to move to a limited extent.

The lower end portions of the roof sheets are bent around and under the eaves and` then downwardly along the side of the car. In order to hold said downturned portion 19 Without binding, the fascia 2G is spaced from the side of the car by means of spacing blocks intervening between the side and. the fascia; and the fascia is mounted with its top portion slightly below the eaves. Preferably, the lower' downturned portion of the sheets has transverse corrugations 21 therein of sufficient width to bear against both the side of the car and the back of the fascia. Such corrugations stiffen the marginal portion of the sheets and o erate as friction members, which tend to ho d the sheets in position but yield when the stresses require it. It is preferable to make the recess back of the fascia wider than the distance between the top of the fascia and the eaves in order to prevent the sheets being pulled out of the recess. In some instances, it is desirable to use longer roof sheets and double back the outer portion thereof far enough for the endmost portion to rest on top of the wooden sheathing. The depending portion thus doubled back is corrugated and the double eorrugations afl'ord a greater resistance to the withdrawal of the roof sheets from the recess and increase the tendency of the sheets to resume their normal positions. In like manner, flexible strips 22 corrugated transversely may be secured to the wooden sheathing and have their free ends bear downwardly against the curved end portions of the roof sheets, whereby said strips tend to maintain said roof sheets in their proper normal positions in the recess.

Instead of having the fascia spaced from the side of the ear, it is practicable to use the construction illustrated in Fig. 17. As illustrated in this ligure, the upper portion of the fascia is thinner than the lower portion and the top thereof is at a distance below' the eaves. Mounted upon the upper thin Vportion of the fascia are a series of clips 23 which extend above the top of the fascia and are bent Vinwardly above the same. The roof sheets are bent around and under the eaves and thence rebent under the clips. As before stated, the ends of the roof sheets may be crimped or corrugated transversely.

Obviously, my device admits of considerable variation without departing from my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. An outside car roof comprisin sheets 'whose ridge ends are provide roof with u turned flanges, the ridge flange of one' s eet being spaced from that of the opposite sheet, and means for holding said roof sheets in position, said means comprising a longitudinal ridge member having a groove adapted to loosely engage said upturned flanges of the roof sheets on both sides of the ridge and metal spacing members at intervals between said rid ememberand the ridge pole for relieving t e weight of said ridge member.

2. An outside car roof comprising roof sheets whose sidesare movably connected by interlocking flanges and whose ridge ends have upturned flanges, the ridge flan e of one sheet being s aced from that of the opposite sheet, a ongitudinal ridge saddle having a longitudinal groove in its underside to receive the upturned flanges of the roof sheets, and metal spacing members resting on the ridge pole and supporting said ridge saddle clear of the roof sheets, said spacing members being narrower than the groove in the ridge saddle and arranged to permit inward movement of the roof sheets.

3. An outside car roofcomprising a ridge pole and wooden sheathing, metal roof sheets whose sides are connected by overlapping flanges and whose ridge ends are provided with upturned flanges which are spaced a art, corner caps having a spacing member abutting against the ridge pole and provided with longitudinal and transverse grooves adapted to receive said flanges, and a ridge saddle having transverse grooves to receive the side flanges of the roof sheets and having a single wide longitudinal groove adapted to receive said corner caps and the ridge fianges of said sheets.

4. An outside car roof com rising roof sheets whose sides are connecter by overlapping flanges and whose ends are provided with upturned flanges which are spaced apart, and means for holding said roof sheets in position, said means comprising corner caps located at the ridge and adapted toengage the ridge fianges and the side seams of said sheets, said corner caps having a spacing member located between said uperases turned flanges and ada ted to abut against the ridge pole and a ri ge saddle su ported on said-spacing members clear of tie roof sheets. v

5. A corner cap for an outside car roof having transverse grooves adapted to engage the side seams and longitudinal channels adapted lto engage the ridge seams and a spacing member between said longitudinal channels adapted to abut against the ridge poleand support a ridge saddle.

6. An outside ear rooiI comprising rool' sheetswhose sides are connected by overlapping ilanges and whose ridge 'ends are provided with upturned flanges which are spaced apart, and means for holding said roof sheets in position, said means comprising corner caps located at the ridge and adapted to engage the ridge flanges and the side means of said sheets, and a longitiulinal ridge saddle adapted to bear on said corner caps and having a longitudinal groove adapted to engage the upturned ridge llanges of said sheets.

, 7. An outside car roof comprising roof sheets whose sides are connected by overlapping flanges and Whose ridge ends are provided with upturned flanges which are spaced apart, and means for holding said roof sheets in position, said means comprising corner caps located at the ridge and adapted to engage the ridge flanges and the side-seams of said sheets, and a longitudinal.

ridge saddle adapted to bear on said corner caps and having a longitudinal groeve adapted torngage the upturned ridge flanges of said sheets, all arranged to permit slight relative movement ofthe sheets.

8. An outside car roof comprising roof sheets Whose sides are movably connected by interlocking flanges and Whose ridge ends have upturned llanges, the ridge flange el' one sheet being spaced from that oi' the opposite sheet, andmeans for holding said roel' sheets in position, said means comprising a longitudinalridge saddle having a si Y e longitudinal groove on its underside to engage said upturned flanges ol' the roof sheets and having transverse grooves arranged to engage the side seams thereof, and saddle blocks located at the side oi said ridge saddle and grooved to straddle the side seams, stringers mounted on said saddle blocks and secured to the ridge saddle, and run boards mounted on said Vridge saddle and said stringere.

.9. An outside car4 rool' com prising rooll sheets whose sides are movably connected by interlocking flanges and whose ridge ends have upturned flanges, theridge flange ol' one sheet being spaced from that ol' the opposite sheet, and means l'or holding said root sheets in position, said means comin'ising a longitudinal ridge saddle grooved on its underside to engage said upturned flanges ol' the roof sheets and the side seams thereof, and saddle blocks located at the side seams, stringere mounted on said saddle blocks and secured to the ridge saddle, and run boards mounted on said ridge saddle and said stringers, said stringere being secured to said ridge saddle by bolts extending trimsversely through them.

10. An outside car roel' comprising Wooden sheathing, roof sheets having their lower portions curved around the eaves and their ends bent downwardly and corrugated, and means located on the side of the car below the edge ol' the sheets and adapted to engage the marginal portieri ol' the sheet Without erlorating it the upper edge ol said means icing closer to the eaves than the width of the corrugations.'

11. An outside car roof comprising Wooden sheathing, roof sheets having tl'leirlower portions curved around the eaves and their ends bent downwardly, said ends having transverse corrugations thereon, and means for holding said root' sheets in position, said means comprising a fascia mounted on the sixile of the car below the eaves, the upper portion of said lascia being removed from the side ol' the car a distance less than the width ol' said corrugations, thereby iorming a recess adapted to receive the ends of the roolI sheets.

l2. An outside car roof comprising Wooden sheathing, roof sheets having their lower portions curved around and under the eaves and their ends bent downwardly and then doubled back over the eaves, and means for holding said roer" sheets in position, said means comprising a fascia mounted on the side oll the car, the top oi said lascia being slightly below the eaves and the upper portion ol' said lascia being slightly distant from the side ot' the car to forni a recess to receive the ends ol' the roof sheets, the portions of the roof sheets inside ol' said recess having a transverse corrugation.

lf3. An outside car roof comprising a wooden sl'ieathing, rootl sheets having their lower portions curved around and under the eaves and their ends bent downwardly and corrugated transversely, a member extending under the eaves portions ol' cach two adjacent roof sheets and engaging the lower ends ol' the sheets, and means comprising a lascia mounted on the side ol' the car slightly below the eaves, the upper portion ol' said fascia being sliglltly removed from the side of the car, thereby forming a recess adapted to receive the ends ol' the rool' sheets.

le. An outside car roof comprising wooden sheathing, rootl having their lower ends curvedaround and under the eaves and bent downwardly and having at their ridge ends upturnedilanges which are spaced from each other, and n'ieans l'or holding said rool' sheets in position, said means comprising a` member' mounted on the side of theear and having its up er ortion spaced from the side'und roof s eating and inclosingloosely the lower ends of the roof sheets, metal distance pieces :it the ridge and a longitudinal ridge member supported by said distance pieces, seid longitudinulrdge member having :i single groove inelosing loosely the upturned flanges 0f the roof sheets on both 10 sides of the ridge Signed et St. Louis; M6., this 20th day of February, 1908. i

JOHN J. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

G. A. PENNINGTON, J B. MEGOWN. 

